[What? Why? How?] The Great Hambinos

Your backside is a totally underworked part of your golf body, but this medieval-looking exercise machine may just save your scorecard.

Golfers got back

Typically, when we hit the gym, we spend most of our time doing different presses, pushes and curls that work the fronts of our bodies. And why not? When we look in the mirror every day, that’s what we see – I have yet to see a product called 6-Minute Latissimus Dorsi.

According to the Titleist Performance Institute, there are more key muscles used in a golf swing on the backside of your body than on the front. Your glutes (your butt) control the all-important hips, your hamstrings help you keep a nice balanced posture, and your back assists your shoulders to bring your arms across your body.

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Enter the glute ham machine

Just like the hole-in-the-wall restaurant down the street, you may have passed this machine without ever knowing it existed. Because of the underworked backside and today’s focus on glamour muscles, there’s also a decent chance it’s not even in your gym.

Of course, the most popular exercise on the glute ham machine is the glute ham raise (GHR), primarily because of the sheer amount of muscles that the movement intensely works. I’ve also seen it referred to as a reverse push-up, but that doesn’t do justice to how effective and efficient the GHR is.

Twice the fun

Although it’s called the glute ham machine, you’re actually working four muscles when you do glute ham raises:

Hamstrings – this is the main target of the exercise.

Glutes – your butt gets a ton of work from raising your torso from a lowered position.

Lower back – especially if you’ve had back problems, this is a very safe way to work the muscles.

Calves – “the unsung hero of the GHR” are worked hard through the entire movement.

Objects may be bigger than they appear

While you may not be able to check out your sweet caboose, hammies that won’t quit, back chiseled from marble, and calves the-envy-of-every-man very easily in the mirror, you will see it on your scorecard.